| name | status-update-template |
| description | Creates reusable status update templates for projects, clients, or stakeholders with progress indicators and clear formatting. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Status Update Template
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Create a reusable template for project or client status updates
- Standardize how progress is reported across projects
- Build stakeholder-appropriate update formats with the right level of detail
- Save time on weekly or monthly reporting with fill-in-the-blank templates
DO NOT use this skill for detailed project plans, meeting agendas, or performance reviews. This is for recurring progress communication.
Core Principle
A STATUS UPDATE SHOULD TAKE 5 MINUTES TO WRITE AND 2 MINUTES TO READ — IF IT TAKES LONGER, THE TEMPLATE IS WRONG OR THE PROJECT NEEDS A MEETING INSTEAD.
Phase 1: Context
Define who receives the update and what they need to know.
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Audience | "Who reads these updates? (client, team, investors, stakeholders)" | Client |
| Frequency | "How often do you send updates? (daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly)" | Weekly |
| Format | "How do you send them? (email, Slack, project tool, document)" | Email |
| Current pain | "What is broken about your current update process?" | Takes too long, inconsistent |
| Projects/topics | "What are you reporting on? (single project, multiple clients, department)" | Single project |
GATE: Confirm audience and format before building the template.
Phase 2: Build Template
Create the status update template matched to the audience.
Client Status Update
Subject: [Project Name] — Weekly Update [Date]
Hi [Name],
**Overall status:** 🟢 On Track / 🟡 At Risk / 🔴 Off Track
## This Week
- [Accomplishment 1]
- [Accomplishment 2]
- [Accomplishment 3]
## Next Week
- [Planned task 1]
- [Planned task 2]
## Needs from You
- [Decision or input needed — with deadline]
- [Approval needed — with deadline]
## Risks / Blockers
- [Risk or issue — and proposed solution]
[Name]
Team/Internal Status Update
## [Project/Team] Status — Week of [Date]
**Status:** 🟢 / 🟡 / 🔴
### Progress
| Task | Owner | Status | Notes |
|------|-------|--------|-------|
| [Task] | [Name] | Done / In Progress / Blocked | [Note] |
### Key Metrics
| Metric | Last Week | This Week | Trend |
|--------|----------|-----------|-------|
| [Metric] | [Value] | [Value] | Up / Down / Flat |
### Blockers
- [Blocker + who can unblock it]
### Decisions Needed
- [Decision + deadline]
Investor/Stakeholder Update
## [Business Name] — [Month] Update
### Highlights
- [Top win or milestone]
- [Key metric improvement]
- [Strategic development]
### Key Metrics
| Metric | Last Month | This Month | Target | Status |
|--------|-----------|-----------|--------|--------|
| Revenue | $[X] | $[X] | $[X] | On/Off Track |
| [Metric] | [Value] | [Value] | [Target] | On/Off Track |
### Challenges
- [Challenge + what you are doing about it]
### Next Month Focus
- [Priority 1]
- [Priority 2]
### Ask (if any)
- [Specific request — intro, advice, resource]
GATE: Present template(s) for review and customization.
Phase 3: Customize
Refine the template to fit the user's specific needs.
Status Indicators
Define what each status color means for consistency:
🟢 **On Track:** All deliverables on schedule, no blockers
🟡 **At Risk:** Minor issues that could delay if not addressed this week
🔴 **Off Track:** Deadline will be missed or major blocker exists
Section Customization
- Add project-specific sections (budget tracking, hours logged, milestone progress)
- Remove sections that do not apply
- Adjust detail level — clients want outcomes, teams want tasks, investors want metrics
Distribution Checklist
## Update Distribution
- [ ] Write update using template (5 min target)
- [ ] Review for clarity and completeness (2 min)
- [ ] Attach any relevant files or links
- [ ] Send to [audience] via [channel]
- [ ] File a copy in [project folder]
Phase 4: Automate
Help the user make updates as effortless as possible.
Time-Saving Tips
- Block 15 minutes on the same day each week for writing updates
- Keep a running "done" list during the week so you do not have to remember on Friday
- Use the same template every time — consistency speeds up both writing and reading
- Pre-populate next week's "planned" section from this week's update
Review Triggers
Update the template when:
- The audience requests different information
- A new project type requires different sections
- Updates consistently take more than 10 minutes to write
Anti-Patterns
- Too much detail — the client does not need to know you fixed a CSS bug. Report outcomes, not activities.
- No status indicator — making the reader hunt for whether things are on track wastes their time. Lead with the status.
- Missing "needs from you" — if the update does not say what the reader should do, it is informational noise.
- Inconsistent timing — updates that arrive on random days lose trust. Same day, same time, every period.
- Writing from scratch each time — without a template, each update takes 3x longer and covers different things.
Recovery
- Client says updates are not useful: Ask what they want to see. Often they want less detail and more "what do you need from me."
- User forgets to send updates: Set a recurring calendar event. The update is not optional — it is a trust-building habit.
- Multiple projects, one template: Create a master template with project-specific sections, or send separate short updates per project.
- User has nothing to report: "No progress this week due to [reason]. Expected to resume [date]." is a valid update. Silence is worse.
- Stakeholder wants more detail: Add an appendix section for deep-dives. Keep the main update scannable.
